Fun Girl’s Party 2: Rafina Decides to Learn Horseback Riding
The conversation continued until a little past midnight. At that point, Rafina, seemingly satisfied with the girl talk, said, “Phew… Well, how about we call it a night?”
Upon realizing she could finally enjoy some much-needed sleep, Mia threw herself onto one of the three beds. Yes, three. Anne had insisted on sleeping on the floor, but Rafina adamantly refused to allow it.
“When wearing pajamas, we’re all equals, so we should sleep as equals too, no?” Rafina declared. At her insistence, they got a third bed and positioned it beside the previous two so everyone could sleep together.
“This…gap between the beds… It seems like you can fall through…” thought Mia as she yawned. Before she had a chance to drift off, she heard Rafina’s voice.
“By the way, Mia, has the whole engagement issue with Miss Esmeralda been straightened out yet?”
“Hmmwha? Uhh… Yes, pretty much…” Mia reflexively answered before her drowsy brain comprehended the question. The subsequent chill was enough to wake her up. Had she told Rafina about the real reason for her trip to Sunkland? No… She never mentioned the complicated circumstances she came to sort out.
Uh-oh. This might be a problem… Too late now.
“I see…” Rafina’s expression grew pensive. “There was something I wanted to discuss with you, but… You probably have plenty on your plate already, and I’d rather not burden you any further. Also, the situation has changed a little, and it doesn’t seem like I’ll be needing your help immediately, so just keep what I’m about to tell you in the back of your mind, okay?”
After that oddly long preamble, she began to quietly tell her story.
“You see, Malong came to me the other day and asked for some advice.”
“Malong? What kind of advice?” asked Mia.
“You’re probably aware already, but lately, there have been reports of a gang of horseback bandits causing mayhem in Sunkland…”
“Ah… Those people…” Mia wasn’t just aware. She’d come face-to-face with the very same bandits.
Moons, I completely forgot about those people… They were the ones who were originally supposed to assassinate Sion.
“I certainly do know about them, but… What’s the matter?”
“Within Sunkland, there is a growing contingent of voices claiming it’s the Equestrian Kingdom’s doing, and that war is inevitable. However, Malong doesn’t think the bandits are from his kingdom.”
“I see. So that’s why you’re here. I assume you came all the way to Sunkland to mediate that issue in person?”
“If hostilities break out, countless lives will be lost. No amount of effort is too much when it comes to preventing war,” Rafina asserted, her voice calm but resolute. “The issue is, well… Even if it’s not the Equestrian Kingdom’s doing, to some degree, it still concerns them.”
“What do you mean?”
Her curiosity thoroughly piqued, Mia turned toward Rafina, only to find Rafina doing the same. Both girls ended up on their sides, regarding each other from across the thin chasm between their beds.
“Have you ever heard of…” began Rafina, holding Mia’s gaze. “The lost clan of the Equestrian Kingdom?”
“Lost…clan?” Mia blinked with obvious confusion.
“It’s said that long, long ago, the Equestrian Kingdom was made up of thirteen clans. Granted, this is something I’ve only ever heard about from other people, and the Equestris have no cultural custom of recording their history on parchment, so everything is preserved through word of mouth and ends up being oral tradition. Even within the kingdom, no one has any direct knowledge of these events… But anyway, the point is that supposedly, there’s a clan that no longer exists—the lost Fire Clan.”
The surname of Equestris represented the clan they belonged to. The “Lin” in Lin Malong, for example, meant “forest.” Malong, therefore, belonged to the Forest Clan. Some of the other clans included Wood, Tree, Wind, Mountain, and Hill. Mia was aware of all twelve existing clans, but she’d never heard of the Fire Clan—those with “Ka” as their clan name.
“And the bandits causing trouble in Sunkland might be from the lost Fire Clan…” said Rafina. “That’s what the people in the Equestrian Kingdom suspect, anyway.”
“I see. So they’re not directly responsible, but it might be the doing of people who used to be part of their tribe…”
Mia mulled over the implications. Fortunately, the story proved interesting enough to slightly lift the fog of sleepiness. In addition, thanks to the mental stimulation of their extended discussion of romantic interests, her brain still had enough juice left to do some work. When in romance mode, Mia was neither an introvert nor an extrovert. She was an amorvert, who recharged by thinking and talking about love-related matters.
“In that case, I suppose we can’t entirely blame Sunkland for misunderstanding the situation.”
“Indeed… Though it’s also possible that their misunderstanding is intentional…”
They could be using their suspicion of the Equestrian Kingdom as a pretext to justify an invasion for the purposes of annexing the Equestris’ land. It was a line of thought that had no doubt crossed the minds of the more militant Sunkland nobles. Many of them were probably delighted by the situation.
“True. That’s a definite possibility. I assume the purpose of your visit this time is to push back against those voices, then?” asked Mia.
“It’s one of them. The other purpose is to look into the possibility that the assassin who attacked you might be a member of that lost clan. I’ve been asking around to see if there’s anyone in the gang of bandits who resemble that assassin.”
“You mean the wolfmaster…”
The whisper didn’t come from either of them. Glancing toward the speaker, they found Citrina grimacing, her face appearing slightly pale.
“Don’t worry, Rina,” Bel reassured, noticing her friend’s discomfort. “It’s okay.”
Citrina rolled over and gave Bel a tight hug. “Thanks.” Citrina nodded, and the tension in her expression eased slightly.
“Bel’s right. I wouldn’t worry too much about him. After all, even I managed to shake him off… Oh, I know. How about we all go for some horse riding lessons together?” Mia suggested on a whim.
To be clear, she didn’t “shake him off.” She’d miraculously survived his pursuit, and it had been the closest of shaves.
It’d be good for Bel and Rina, in case they ever end up in a situation when they need to escape. If they have some experience on horseback, they’ll be able to ride on their own, which frees me up to ride alone. And riding alone…means riding lighter. And my horse will run faster, making it easier for me to get away.
Make no mistake—first and foremost, Mia was always looking out for number one.
“Together? Um… Mia, would that happen to…include me as well?”
“Hm?” Mia arched a brow at the dumbstruck look on Rafina’s face. “Well, sure. I don’t see why not. You should definitely join us, Miss Rafina. We can even try going on some long rides. They’re great for clearing your mind.”
“Long rides…” Rafina whispered to herself. “Going on long rides…with friends… I was just invited… This is— I can’t believe…” Her indistinct mumbling continued for some time before she replied. “Yes… Yes, I think I will, Mia. I’d love to go on long rides with you!”
Mia had expected Rafina to agree. What she hadn’t expected, however, was the immense amount of accompanying enthusiasm.
The following morning, Mia was nowhere to be found. On the beds, that is.
